BBB Tip: Be safe when sharing back-to-school photos of your kids

With the school year starting again, social media is full of adorable back-to-school photos. Often, these pictures feature a child holding a “first day of school” sign with basic information, such as their name and grade.

While these photos are a great way to capture yearly milestones, the information shared in these photos can pose a security risk.

It might seem harmless to share your child’s basic information on social media in a back-to-school photo. However, since 59% of U.S. adults use birthdays or names in their passwords, these cute photos could potentially leave you vulnerable to a personal data risk.

Before you jump on the trend and snap a similar picture of your little one, read these tips and be cautious about what you share.

• Watch out for phony friend requests. Don’t accept friend requests from strangers. Also, think twice before you accept a friend request from someone you are already connected with. It could be an impostor trying to access your information and friends list.

• Practice good cybersecurity habits. If you’re using personally identifiable information in your passwords, or if you’re using the same password for multiple accounts, it’s time to do some password management. Read BBB’s tips for creating a strong password so you can protect your accounts.